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How to Fix Could Not Connect to Steam Network Error

7 min. read

Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

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Key notes

Steam is a must-have for PC gamers, as it is one of the most well-knownplatforms for purchasing and playing games. However, it can malfunction from time to time resulting in errors such as theCould not connect to Steam networkone that we will address today.There are thousands of games to pick from, and you can even share games with your friends, so it will be simple to accumulate a large game library using the Steam platform.

In addition, network problems manifest themselves in a variety of ways, including choppy video conversations, slow application or network speeds. Or even delayed downloads, poor quality, andno Internet connection.

However, every error has a solution, and we found 6 methods in which you can solve Steam connection errors.Follow along as we will first see why Steam is not connecting, then jump into the list of solutions.

Why is Steam not connecting?

Occasionally, network difficulties can be caused by broken hardware, such as routers or switches. Or by unanticipated usage patterns. Such asnetwork bandwidthsurges, and changes in the application configuration.However, the error thrown by Steam could also be caused by their servers or security breaches that they have encountered.

Troubleshooting network issues can be time-consuming, and if left untreated, they can have severe effects on your computer.Furthermore, to prevent this from happening, it is critical to understand what might go wrong with your network and to regularly monitor network performance.

In what systems does Could not connect to Steam network error occur?

User reports show that today’s error is not specific to a certain Windows iteration. But that it shows in multiple systems such as the following:

This being said, let’s see how you can fix the network connection issue and get back to playing your favorite Steam games. Keep on reading!

How can I fix the Could not connect to Steam network error?

1. Troubleshoot your network connection

2. Ensure that your network driver is up-to-date

Alternatively, you could head to your network adapter’s official website and try to find the latest drivers for your device.

After you’ve updated your drivers, check to see if you have any pending Windows updates. If so, let them download and apply them.

Moreover, if your system is up to date, then there is a high likelihood that theCould not connect to Steam networkerror message will disappear.

An outdated or damaged network adapter driver may interfere with your network connection and slow down your download rates.

Another approach to increase your download speeds and avoid theCould not connect to steam network erroris to automatically and safely update or reinstall your network adapter driver.

If manually looking for network adapter drivers seems tedious, and you want to avoid any damaged registry entries, we recommend usingOutbyte Driver Updater automated driver installerand updater.

A driver updater, such as Outbyte Driver Updater, ensures that drivers are updated and prevents PC harm caused by installing the incorrect network adapter driver version.

3. Reinstall Steam

4. Check your firewall

5. Disable VPN / use split tunneling

If you are running with aVPN, pause it and try starting Steam again. In case your VPN caused a conflict with Steam, it could be the very cause for theCould not connect to the Steam networkerror.

In this case, you can either pause the VPN and check if Steam behaves normally, or use split tunneling.

Split tunneling is an awesome feature that allows you to exclude certain apps or services on your PC from the VPN tunnel.

Therefore, if youadd Steam to the exclusion listand the VPN is indeed causing the error, you might even get away with not disabling your VPN.

A good example of a split-tunneling-ready VPN service isPrivate Internet Access. Using this proficient VPN solution, you have firm encryption for your network. Plus infinite servers you can choose from to avoid network errors on your Steam service.

6. Start Steam using TCP

The solutions provided above should fix theCould not connect to Steam networkerror without too much effort.However, if you need further assistance, check out our post on3 quick ways to fix the Steam no Internet connectionerror.Alternatively, take a look at how toprevent the Internet from disconnecting in Steamwhile playing a game that needs an online connection.

Let us know in the comments section below which method worked best for you and how easy it was to apply it. Thanks for reading!

How to Fix Could Not Connect to Steam Network Error#

Why is Steam not connecting?#

In what systems does Could not connect to Steam network error occur?#

How can I fix the Could not connect to Steam network error?#

1. Troubleshoot your network connection#

2. Ensure that your network driver is up-to-date#

3. Reinstall Steam#

4. Check your firewall#

5. Disable VPN / use split tunneling#

6. Start Steam using TCP#